Other Solutions
by bbybear85
Summary: Prompt. ONESHOT No pairing. Older houses have pest problems. A solution must be found. Whimsy.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing**

A/N: Writing prompt from a facebook group.

Reviews look like they're working, again. I had been getting ya'll's notes in my Yahoo inbox, so thank you all for that. It's just wonderful to hear from the readers. CynFinn wrote, the other day: "If you're going to write anything, fan fiction or your first novel, write for yourself first, and write what YOU want to read." But I still just love to know you're enjoying it, too. :)

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His bones turned to ice at the sound of the scream. It was shrill, and sharp, and-ear splitting. Definitely ear splitting.

Heero frowned. He knew by the pitch that there was no real danger involved.

Indeed, the fact that this woman had made a sound at all meant she was in no real danger. Relena Darlian had faced some of the most harrowing threats known to mankind without flinching. She certainly was not the type of person to scream when in trouble.

The man took a steeling breath and moved down the hall. He listened intently as he walked, but there was no further complaint. It was only when he'd turned the corner into the utility room that he could hear her, again.

It was now just heavy breathing.

The light was on and she was pressed hard against the wall right next to a small door. Whatever she was freaking out about seemed to be in the room with the water heater.

Heero folded his arms and offered her a compassionless glare.

"Your thing," she hissed between her teeth, looking exasperated.

"The mousetrap?"

"I told you it's not a mousetrap. That thing-it-it-"

"Caught something?"

She pressed her lips together and shivered.

"A mouse?" He asked.

In lieu of an answer, she stifled a gag and looked away.

The former Gundam pilot let out a frustrated sigh and reached for the handle. Inside the miniature closet was a large metal cylinder that kept her showers piping hot, but nothing else was immediately visible in the stark darkness.

There wasn't a pressing need for a light over the water heater. Because it was in total darkness, naturally one would check the flame so he'd commandeered the bulb some time ago and used it for another project. Heero Yuy, however, was not well known for his attention to returning "borrowed" equipment.

Slowly, the shadowed details came into focus and he could see where he'd placed the sticky trap. Lowering his weight onto his haunches he strained to focus. There was definitely something on the trap, and it was moving.

His dark blue eyes squinted, as though to shut out the peripheral light.

Psychosomatic or not, the gesture seemed to help. The movement became more clear. The slight reflection of the shiny surface took the shape of subdued ridges. The freeloader could only have been an inch long, he noted. The color was brown, no - amber.

Heero's lip twitched and he stood to face her with his hands at his sides. "Does that bother you so?"

Her face was flushed with phobic embarrassment. "In _my_ house?!"

He shrugged. "They're waterbugs. They live under the house and get in on occasion. It's not like they're German cockroaches infesting your dishes."

He was pretty sure she might hurl at the visual, but she held it back, tears welling in her eyes for the strain. "Roaches," she answered. "Are _roaches_."

Heero swung the door slowly shut. "These are harmless. You have bigger problems."

"And the sticky traps aren't working. No matter _what_ Duo says!"

He let his eyes wander back to the open door to the cold, musty basement room. The antiquated Peacecraft lodging she'd elected to keep as home, whilst liquidating most of her other unnecessary residences, was superfluous in size, and called for an oversized utility area, but the spaciousness never bothered him. That was, of course, until they ran into the classic plight of older homes. Pests. Now she was upset about the roaches, but the mice were a much more pressing dilemma.

"Well," he said as he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door, "I'll get you the no-touch baited traps that I had suggested last week, and we'll see how that goes. Will that pacify you?"

Relena finally began to breathe normally, rolling her shoulders forward and training her thoughts in relaxed contemplation. She didn't really have time to register the sound of the hammer locking back into place, before the shot rang out.

A distant scurrying to her right was accompanied by the slightest high pitch squeek. She was almost unsure she'd heard it.

Relena's whole world shook violently at the sound of the blast, leaving her shouting over the blaring ringing in her own ears to communicate.

"What have you done?" She hollered through air that seemed thick with the smell of hot metal. Relena even covered her face to avoid seeing before he promised her there was nothing too gruesome.

"I didn't want him to get away," he called back in a similarly strained, yet still hard to hear voice. "They reproduce faster than rabbits, you know."

"You _shot_ a-" Relena's breath caught as she raised her head to challenge him. Unfortunately, Heero's face was not the warm color in the room that caught her attention first.

That time she was pretty sure she was doomed to puke.


End file.
